Finger splint assembly and method of treating mallet finger

Abstract

A finger splint assembly includes a generally cylindrical sleeve having a wall of flexible but inextensible material and opposite proximal and distal ends which are open. The remaining component of the assembly is a shim having opposite relatively thick and relatively thin ends and a flat top surface extending between those ends. The shim is longer than the sleeve such that when the shim is inserted, thin end first, into the distal end of the sleeve with its top surface aligned with an internal chord of the sleeve and with one of the thick and thin ends lying within the sleeve, the other of the thick and thin ends projects from the corresponding end of the sleeve. A method of using the assembly to treat Mallet Finger is also disclosed.

1 . A finger splint assembly comprising
 a generally cylindrical sleeve, said sleeve having a wall of relatively flexible but substantially inextensible material and opposite proximal and distal ends which are open, and   a shim having opposite relatively thick and relatively thin ends and a substantially flat top surface extending between said ends, said shim being longer than the sleeve such that when the shim is inserted, thin end first, into the distal end of the sleeve, with its top surface aligned with an internal chord of the sleeve and with one of said thick and thin ends lying within the sleeve, the other of said thick and thin ends projects from the corresponding end of the sleeve.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly defined in  claim 1 , wherein the proximal end of the sleeve is cut on a bias and the distal end of the sleeve is square cut so that an upper region of the sleeve is longer than a lower region thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly defined in  claim 2 , and further including a plurality of holes extending through said wall in said upper region of the sleeve. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly defined in  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve is of a permeable plastic material. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly defined in  claim 1 , wherein said wall has rounded edges at the opposite ends of the sleeve. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly defined in  claim 1 , wherein said sleeve comprises a length of vinyl tubing. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly defined in  claim 1 , wherein said shim is a solid wedge-shaped body which is wider at said thick end than at said thin end. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly defined in  claim 7 , wherein the body has a cross-sectionally curved undersurface whose curvature substantially matches the cylindrical curvature of the sleeve wall so that when said top surface is aligned with said chord, the undersurface lies flush against the sleeve wall. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly defined in  claim 7 , and further including a barb at the thin end of the shim which engages over the edge of the sleeve wall when the thick end of the shim reposes within said sleeve. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly defined in  claim 7 , and further including gripping means at said thick end of the shim. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly defined in  claim 10 , wherein the gripping means comprise at least one notch in a side of said body. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly defined in  claim 10 , wherein the gripping means comprise an enlargement of said body. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shim comprises a flexible resilient plastic plate which is wider at said thick end than at said thin end. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly defined in  claim 13 , wherein said plate comprises two leaves folded together face to face with a crease at said thick end. 
   
   
       15 . The assembly defined in  claim 14 , wherein the leaf faces are bonded together. 
   
   
       16 . A method of treating a Mallet Finger having an injured joint comprising the steps of
 forming a generally cylindrical sleeve having a wall of flexible but inextensible material and proximal and distal ends which are open;   sliding the sleeve onto a Mallet Finger whose diameter is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the sleeve until the sleeve bridges said joint, and   inserting a shim between the underside of the finger and the sleeve wall so as to releasably capture the finger between an upper portion of the sleeve wall and the shim.   
   
   
       17 . The method defined in  claim 16  including the step of forming at least a portion of the sleeve wall with pores or perforations. 
   
   
       18 . The method defined in  claim 16  including the step of forming the shim as a solid wedge-shaped body with a flat top surface and an undersurface which is curved to match the cylindrical curvature of the sleeve wall. 
   
   
       19 . The method defined in  claim 18  including the steps of forming the sleeve of vinyl plastic and the shim of wood. 
   
   
       20 . The method defined in  claim 19  including the step of cutting the proximal end of the sleeve on a bias.